Guide means for flexible ammunition belts



4 Sheets-$heet l w. L. MacKENZlE GUIDE MEANS FOR "FLEXIBLE AMMUNITION BELTS Aug. 23, 1949.

Filed July 3, 1944 "Au -23, 1949. w. L. MacKENZlE zm mg GUIDE MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE AMMUNITION BELTS I Filed July 3, 1944 4 Sheets-$heet 2 Mbur L. mackenzle 1 (2 [113A 1949- w. L. MaKENZIE 2,479,633

GUIDE MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE AMMUNITION BELTS Filed July 3, 1944 4 Sheets-$heet 5 56 o O O O O I 7 Immwr Aug. 23, 1949.. w; n... M KENZlE 33 GUIDE MEANS FOR FLEXIBLE AMMUNITION BELTS Filed July 3, 1944 l 4 Sheets--Sheet 4 Envmwr I \M/bur L. Nac/(enz/e fatenfed Aug. 23, 1949 UNITE T -S GUIDE:

RFLEX-IBLE AMMUNITION BEL ADPliCELfiOHJHlYB, 1944,;SerialNo. 543,344,

v s 'claims.

"The present invention relates to ammunition feeding means and is herein illustratedin its application to means "forfe'edin'g andg'uiding'car- 'tridge belts to a plural gun assemblyl in thetail portion of an-airplane. "It be apparentito those skilledinthe art'that embodiments of the illustrated ammunition feeding means in vehicles other than airplanes and also in iixedyg'un em,- placements come withinthe scope of'thetvpresent invention.

In feeding cartridge belts to a pluralgun assembly mounted 'foritarget tracking movement's it is desirable to provide flexible guiding means designed to direct the cartridge belts J into the respective feedways of the guns without seriously impeding the movementsoi theguns. "Itis'the usual practice'to provide for this purpose flexible chutes comprising a series of interconnected links constructed and arranged -to .perniit' expansion and contraction of opposite -.side portions ofLthe chute. While such chutes have a considerable range of flexing movementsthe' strain andwe'ar on the'fiexible chute causedlby the feeding'd'f the cartridge belt is substantially reduced" if "the flexing action of the chute is limited and sharp curvatures and abrupticonvolutio'ns are avci'ded. Furthermore, when thetgun assembly is mounted in a small space it is essential'thatfiexihg movements of the chutesbe reducedto' the minimum in order to avoid contact of the chutes with each other and withadiacent mechanismin extreme positions ofthe gun assembly.

'Itis an object of the presentinvention-ato provide, in an assemblynof-lguns constructed .and arranged for target tracking. movements, .anarrangement ofammunition guiding meanswhich will facilitate thefeedingof ammunitiomire'duce the wear and strain on theguidingmeans, and obviate contact of adjacent guiding. members with eachother and with other adjacent mechanism, particularly when the .guns are mounted in Ta small space as for example,inthe tailportion of an airplane.

With 7 the above obj ectin view, the, present invention, in one aspectthereof, contemplates 'the combination with a plural gun'assembly mounted in a vehicle for target tracking movements of ammunition chutes freely mounted inoppdsite sides of the vehicle for. movement. longitudinally thereof, and means operated .by target tracking movements .of theguns for effecting equal and opposite movements otsaid chutes longitudinally of the vehicle. In the'illustrated organization .two ammunition chutes constructed andarranged to guide ammunition to two guns" inaygun'mount.

2 are connected together by a cable which is also connected to 'thegun' assembly; 'sa'id cable being operable by' target tracking, movements of the 'gunlassemhly to efiect 'e'jqual andopposite movemerits of said chutes corresponding to similar equal-rand opposite movements of the delivery Lends or Lsalicl chutes With'fthe "fe'edways' of the respective guns. 'In'the "illustrated organization a seriesof chutesis, provided foriguiding ammuni- 10 tionffrom an ammunitiontroughfto feach o'f'the guns, said-- series comprising a"fie iible chute mounted'inthe'feedway o'fthelgun'and a rigid chute lpositionedrlativly' to the ammunition receiving end Yo'f'the' flexible chutean'dmnounted lor' longitudinal movement relatively "to the gun :mount. 'lPreferably thecableis connected to'the rigidch'ute's anathe ammunition receiving ends lo'fthfflexible chutes receive their movement 'rela- 'itivelyltoithet gun mouritfrom'th'e rigidchutes. In itslspecific"application to the illustrated fours gun .assemloly comprising "two upper and"'two"l.ower gunsLandaLsinglewrame .on which the guns are mounted' the invention comprises"fou.rchutes'and means operated' by target tracking movements of thelgunassembly for moving said tchutes'relaltively tothegun7assembly, said means comprising .a'f'iirst cable secured to the uppefleft'gun, the -lower gun,.and' to 'the" two chutes wliiohi'eed ammunition to saidiguns, respectively, and a secondcable secured tothelowerleftjgun andthe .upperlrighttgun width the" two chutes which feed ammunition to thelatter two guns, respectively.

To: assist in the maintenance'or a constant slack .inlthelfiex'ible "Tehutes connected to the respective guns the illustrated organization, in accordance with atfurtherfeature"oftheinvention, includes a member mounted infixedrelationtothe gun mount';providing a fleXing point for a "flexible chute and' dividing the chute" into two sections, namely." a straight section'l'extending from the 1ammunitionreceivingenu'ofthe flexible chute to the'fiexingp'oint establishedioy'said member; and "an arc'uatei'section extending from the flexing point tolthe'ammunitiondelivery end of the chute.

'tions 'oflthe'flexi'ble "chutes will vary in proportion to the'targt trainingmovernents o'f'thegun as- .sei'ribly. 'Inaccordancewitha 'further"feature "of "the invention; suitable means i'sprovided' for'sup- 5Q porting and guiding "the straight sectionoft'he flexible Schute.

"These and other features of thefinvention' will nowbe' described witlilreference'to the accomlp'anying" drawings and 1 p'ointe'dfout Tin the aption, illustrating a portion of one of the cartridge belt guiding assemblies;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating portions of the two cartridge belt guiding assemblies at one side of the airplane;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a portion of one of the flexible cartridge belt guides;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the mechanism whereby the cartridge belt guides are moved in response to target-tracking movements of the gun assembly; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 1.

The illustrated gun assembly is mounted'for locomotion in a vehicle herein illustrated as an airplane.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral I0 indicates the tail portion of the fuselage of an airplane and the numeral l2 indicates two guns of a four-gun assembly projecting rearwardly from the tail end of the airplane, said guns, as herein illustrated, being .50 cal. machine guns of known construction. The four uns 12 are supported on one cradle l4 pivotally mounted on a bent column [6 for swinging movement heightwise of the airplane, hereinafter referred to as movements in elevation, said column being pivotally mounted in supporting brackets l8 and 20 for swinging movement about an axis extending heightwise of the plane to provide for widthwise swinging movements of the guns, hereinafter'referred to as movements in azimuth.

Ammunition for the four-gun assembly is stored amidships and is fed to the guns through four separate systems of ammunition guides or chutes. To facilitate feeding, the ammunition is provided in belts, preferably of the disintegrating metallic link construction. The cartridge belts are fed, or drawn, through the chutes by the cartridge feeding mechanisms of the respective guns, assisted by automatically actuated feeding means located at an intermediate position lengthwise of each system of chutes. In tracking a target, the gun assembly has a wide range of movement and the ammunition chutes connected to the guns must be so constructed and.

arranged as to be movable with the gun assembly in its target tracking movements. To this end, that section of each system of chutes connected to the gun is of a flexible link construction such, for example, as that illustrated in Fig. 6. In order to avoid interference of the flexible chutes with each other and with the gun controlling and operating mechanisms, means is provided for moving the receiving ends of the flexible chutes lengthwise of the airplane, concomitantly with the target-tracking movements of the gun assembly, to maintain a substantially'constant degree of slack in said flexible chutes. In the illustrated assembly, the movement of the receiving ends of the flexible chutes for the purpose above set forth is effected by two cables operated by movements of the gun assembly in azimuth and 4 in elevation, the arrangement and operation of said cables being hereinafter described.

The construction and operation of two complete systems of ammunition guiding chutes at one side of the airplane are illustrated in Fig. 1. In each system the ammunition belt is fed from a trough (not shown) located approximately amidships, through a fixed rigid chute 2| extending rearwardly from said trough, then through a flexible chute 22 of the type illustrated in Fig. 6. The delivery end of the flexible chute is attached to a rigid chute 24 arranged to extend along the inside wall at one side of the fuselage. The rigid chute is supported for longitudinal movement in a plurality of brackets 26, one of which is illustrated in Fig. 2. Each bracket is arranged in an inclined position and secured to a plate 28 mounted on a panel 30 attached to the ribs 32 of the fuselage. For supporting the rigid chute2d with-p in the brackets 26 each bracket has pivotally ,mounted in the lower portion thereof a roll 34 having flanges at each end between which flanges a hollow'tongue 36 extending downwardly from the rigid chute 24 is mounted. The lower portion of the rigid chute is positioned widthwise of the bracket by two rolls 38 pivotally mounted between angle brackets 49 and arranged to extend inwardly through openings in the bracket 26. Similarly, the upper portion of the rigid chute is positioned widthwise of the bracket 26 by rolls 52 pivotally mounted between angle brackets 44. For holding the rigid chute against heightwise movement rolls 46 are arranged to extend through an opening in the top of the bracket 26 for engagement with the upper surface of the rigid chute. The rigid chute is so constructed and arranged that the cartridge belt slides through it in upright position with the shell 48 of the cartridge supported on the base of the rigid chute and the projectile so positioned between the beaded marginal portions of a channel plate 52 secured in the upper portion of the rigid chute. The ammunition belt passes from the delivery end of the rigid chute 24 through a short chute or channel member 54 and from said short chute through a flexible chute 55 the delivery end of which is mounted in the feedway of one of the guns I2 as best shown in Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 4, the channel member 54 is hinged on a pin 58 mounted in plates 50 secured to the flexible chute 55 by screws 62 and rigidly secured to the rigid chute 24 between the end portions of bars 64. The channel member 54 has a short range of swinging movement from its full line position in Fig. 4 to its position indicated by broken lines. During such movement of the channel member its delivery end moves laterally within the limits of the expanded'end portion of a guideway or funnel formed by bent plates 656 secured to the end portions of the plates 8%. Thus, in all positions of the swinging channel member '54 its delivery end registers with the guideway provided by the plates 66 and the movement of the cartridge belt proceeds without interruption in any position of said channel member. The channel member is normally retained in'its full line position as illustrated in Fig. 4 by a spring 58 mounted on a pin 10 secured to an angle bracket 12 mounted on the rigid chute 26, said spring being arranged to bear against an end portion of a bent arm 14 secured to the channel member 54 and bifurcated to embrace the pin 10. When the channel member is in its normal position illustrated in Fig. 4 the cartridge belt travels in a curved path as it passes fromthe delivery end of the'channel membier"tliroug'1rthefunnel 'rovided biitliebeiit plates 156. During thefiri'ng of-the gun the cartridge belt is -drawnf-through the" series =or guideways abbve d'escribedg-byi inec'hamsm "(not shown) operated by there'coil-of the 'gun. The-tension imparted to thecartridge beltby the i feed "mech- 'a'nis'm' in the "gun -straight'ens that-portion of the belt passing through thebh'annel member'ed and the adjacent funnel thereby swinging 1 the channel member into its broken line position illustrated 'in Fig; 4. Thle-bent*arml4, moving with -the-"channel m'ember 54 acts-against a plunger -16 to cl'ose-aswitch mounted ina box "I8 secured *to'the angle-bracket -12; The closing of-'said 'switehb'auses the pperatibn of a motor 81] a (Fig. 1) "Secured'to the rigid 'chute =24. Said motor operating through suitable gearing (not shown)-actu- "atesa pairbisprockets'8-2 'the teeth of which project through an-opening "in the rigid chute 24 for engagement withthebartiidges mounted therein. The operation of the sprockets 82 assists inthe feeding movement of the cartridge belt thus relieving the recoil-mechanism of the-gun which, his commonly constructed, is not designed to draw a cartridge belt through a series of guideways as long as that herein illustrated. After a very :brief-period of' operationof the sprockets 82 the "tension onthe portion of the cartridge belt passing through the channel member 54 and the adj'acentguide'way is relieved sufficiently to permit 'the"spring*68 to return 'the' channel member to its full line -'psasitior 'illustrated in Fig. i, whereupona spring (not shown) 'in the switchb'ox 78 opens the switch and causes the operation of the sprockets 82 to be arrested. Itwill be understood that the sprockets -82'will be operatedintermittentlyat'frequent intervals during'the firing of the gun and will relieve the-ammunitionfe eding mechanism of the gun of the greater part of the burden of feeding the ammunition belt. "above-described mechanism for assisting in the feeding of the ammunition belt, together with the "swinging channel member for operating the switch is provided in each of the four ammunition feeding systems provided for the four-gun assembly illustrated in the drawings. In order to supp'ort the weight of the rear-endportion of the rigidchute24in its rearmost positionytogether -'With the added weight of the channermernber 54, the receiving end portion of the flexible chute SBQand a cartridge belt mounted therein, a trolley-'rail"84(Figs. 1 and 2)"is provided for the rigid chute, said trolley rail being herein illustrated as an 'inverted'cha'nnel member having flanges 86 extendinginwardly from its opposite 'sides torsu'pport a'pair of rolls 8'8 carried by a "short arm 90 securedto and extending upwardly from the top of the rigid chute 24. The'raiI-SA extends longitudinally of the'fuselage' in=parallel relation to the rigid chute '24 and-is fixed to :platesSZ (Fig.5) secured to the ribs-32, A similar trolley rail 94 adjacent to the receiving-end portion or the rigid chute z supportssaid chute together with the flexible chute 22 and the "ammunition belt-'mountedtherein when the rigid ch'ute andthe flexible chute are in the position "shown by brokenlines in Fig. l.

' The mobile construction a and arrangement of the rigid chutes 24, and-the receivingend portions 'of the fiex'ible-chutes 56 attached to the rigid chutes permits the maintenance of a substafitially constant degree or 's'la'ckdn'said' flexible chutes. In the illustrated organization them'oveinent'bf the el'iu'te'sis ''ffecteflfaumfiitticallyby "irieahsactfiate'dby movement-cf theg'un ass'elrl-bly The in azimuth and 'in elevation. The description or theclilite inovin'g mechanism willbe prefaced by a brief description of 'the arrangement of the delivryends' -of the iiexible-chutes "56 to the gun assembly. Referringto Fig. Lthe'aXis-On which the 1 cradle M rock's" for mov'ernent ofthegun assembly inelevation is indicated at- I illl and it'will beseen that the-upper chute 58, shown in Fig.1, entersfthe feedwayof the upper gun at a point approximately abovethe a'xis IIliL while the delivery 'end of the lo'wer flexible chute -56 is directly below i the deliveryend of the upper chute and-memw the axis 1110. This arrangement -is duplicatedonthe'opposite side of'the gunassembly. Itwill -be 's'een that anupward movemerit of the gun assembly causes the delivery ends of the upperchutes to move forwardl'y of thefair-pl'an'e "with a downward component while the "lower" chutes move rearwardly with I an up- (t/"a'rd "component. Thus, the "distance from the deliveryends'ofthe upper chutes to-the delivery ends of'the rigid chutes z-rwmm be shortened-if thec'zhutes .24 remain-stationary, thus increasing the slack in the" upper chutes "56 while the distance from the delivery ends 5 of the lower chutes 56 to the' delivery=ends 0f the lower rigid chutes-24 would beincreased and thede'gree of slack in the lower flexible chutes would-be'decreased with a straightening or tauteningeiiect on said flexible chutes. "Similarly, movement of the gun'assembly in azimuth causes the delivery endsof the'tWo flexible 1 chutes at one side of 'thegun assembly to moveforwardly while the delivery ends of the flexible-chutes atthe opposite side of the gun asseinbl'yrriove rearwardlywith slackening and tautening eiiects'on the fiexiblechutes similar 'tothe effects-described above. The longitudinal movements of the chutes during target tracking 'movements'ofthe gun assembly serve to counter- "act said slackening and tautening tendencies, thus maintaining a substantially constant degree of slack in all of the flexible chutesat all times. he'rein illustrated; the longitudinal movements of the chutes areeffecte'd b'y two cables I02 and I 04 (Figs. 1 and 7 the ends 'oiwhichare secured to thec'radle I 4- atpoints I I15 and Illfiwhile intermedi-ateportions of each cable, generally indicated in Fig. 7-by thenumeral I01, are securedto "the rigidchutes' 24. Now tracing the path of the cable: l ll'2y'one end of' saidcable is secured to the "cradle at the point I05 located between the rock- -irig axis I'Il'Il of thecradle and the muzzle ends 'of the guns I 2. 'The cable'IUZ extends downwartily from saidpoint toa pulley I 68 (Fig. 8) mountedon a plate I I0 secured to the base of the column lfi;thence"rearwardly and about a series of pulleys II2 mountedon the plate -III] and spaced equally'distant'from the axis H3 of the column' I'B. In its path from the plate IIO forwardly of the airplane the'cable I92 passes over a seriesof'pfill'e'ys I I 4,-II6-and II8 (Fig. 1), and passes from thepulley II'8 through the space betweenthelo'wer rigid chute 24 seen in Fig. 1 and the side wall of the fuselage and toward the reffceiving ehdof's'aid rigid chute to a pulley I20. From this point the cable extendsdownwardly 'to a pulley I22, 'then'across the bottom of the fuselage. The further course of the cable I02 does not appear in Fig. 1 but is illustrated diagrammatically m '"Fig. 7-where it appears that after "crossing the fuselage the cable I [I2 extends to the upper-rigid chute24 "on the opposite side ofthe "fuselagean'd, thence, in a'course simil'ar'to that f'abo've" described, back "to "the "cradle I 4 to which his secured atthe'point= lflt'between' therockiiig axis I of the cradle and the breech ends of the guns. It will be seen that the two ends of the cable are spaced equally distance from the axis I00, thus insuring equal movements of the opposite ends of the cable and a constant tension on the cable in all positions of the gun assembly in elevation. Similarly, the concentric arrangement of the pulleys M2 on the plate Ill) relatively to the vertical axis of the gun assembly insures a constant tension on the cable I02 during all movements of the gun assembly in azimuth. It will be understood that the arrangement and operation of the cable 104 corresponds to the arrangement and operation of the cable Hi2 above described. It will be seen by reference to the diagrammatic showing in Fig, '7 that the organization of the cable mechanism is such that when in the course of the target tracking movement of the gun assembly the muzzle ends of the guns move downwardly, the cables cause the upper rigid chutes 2d together with the receiving ends of the flexible chutes to move toward the gun assembly and the lower chutes to move away from the gun assembly thus counteracting the respective slackening and tautening tendencies of such movement of the gun assembly on the flexible chutes and maintaining a substantially constant slack therein. Similarly, when the guns are tilted upwardly the lower rigid chutes move toward the gun assembly and the upper chutes away from the gun assembly. It will also be seen that movement of the gun assembly in azimuth causes the plate I Ill to turn with the column l5 (Fig. 8), thus winding the cables at one side of said plate about the concentric pulleys mounted thereon and causing a corresponding unwinding action of the cables at the opposite side of said plate. This action of the platev H0 moves the two rigid chutes 24 together with the ends of the flexible chutes at one side of the airplane toward the gun assembly and the two rigid chutes at the opposite side of the airplane away from the gun assembly. This action of the plate I l0 counteracts the respective slackening and tautening tendencies on the flexible chutes by movement of the gun assembly in azimuth and maintains a constant slack in said flexible chute. From the above description it will be understood that I have provided means for automatically moving the rigid chutes 24 in synchronous relation to the target tracking movements of the gun assembly thus insuring the maintenance of a substantially constant degree of slack in the four flexible chutes 5&5 in any and all positions of the gun assembly. 7

It has been found that in the handling. of the flexible chutes 56 the best results are achieved by providing, for each chute, a fixed guide member about which the chute flexes, thus dividing the chute into two sections: a straight section extending from the guide member to the receiving end of the chute and an arcuate section extending from the guide member to the delivery end of the chute. In an extreme position of the gun as sembly, such as that illustrated in Fig. 3, the straight sections of the two flexible chutes atone side of the gun assembly are relatively short and the arcuate sections correspondingly long and, conversely, the two flexible chutes at the opposite side of the gun assembly have relatively short arcuate sections and long straight sections, but the curvature of the arcuate sections of all four flexible chutes is substantially the same. Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, the straight section of each flexible chute 56 is supported and guided by a plate I24 secured to the ribs 32 and bent to form a channel member within which the chute is retained. Each channel member has a relatively wide arcuate extension I26 which provides a fixed guide about which the chute 56 flexes, said guide defining the division between the straight section and the arcuate section of the chute. In order to prevent contact of the lower flexible chutes with the plate III) a guard rail I28 extends about said plate. 7

While my invention is herein illustrated in its application to a four-gun assembly mounted in the tail portion of an airplane, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its scope to the illustrated embodiment thereof but is applicable to gun assemblies mounted in other types of vehicles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A plural gun assembly, a vehicle in which said gun assembly is mounted, means for guiding ammunition to said guns including two ammunition chutes freely mounted in opposite sides of the vehicle for movement longitudinally thereof, and means operated by target tracking movements of the guns for efiecting equal and opposite movement of said chutes longitudinally of the vehicle.

2. A plural gunassembly, a vehicle in which said gun assembly is mounted, two ammunition chutes freely mounted at opposite sides of said vehicle for movement longitudinally thereof and a cable connecting said ammunition chutes, to each other and to the gun assembly, said cable being operable by target tracking movements of the gun assembly to effect equal and opposite movement of said chutes longitudinally of the vehicle. 7

3. A four-gun assembly comprising two upper and two lower guns, a vehicle in which said gun assembly is mounted, ammunition feeding means including four chutes, two at each side of the vehicle, and means operated by target tracking movements of the gun assembly for moving said chutes longitudinally of the vehicle, said means comprising a first cable secured to the upper left gun, the lower right gun and to the two chutes which feed ammunition to said guns respectively, and a second cable secured to the lower left gun and the upper right gun and to the two chutes which feed ammunition to the latter two guns respectively.

4. A four-gun assembly comprising two upper and two lower guns, a vehicle in which said gun assembly is mounted, ammunition feeding means including four rigid chutes, two at each side of the vehicle, means operated by target tracking movements of the gun assembly for moving said chutes longitudinally of the vehicle, said means comprising a first cable secured to the upper left gun, the lower right gun and to the two chutes which feed ammunition to said guns respectively, and a second cable connected to the lower left gun and the upper right gun and to the two chutes which lfeed ammunition to the latter two guns respectively, and four flexible chutes constructed and arranged to receive ammunition from the four rigid chutes and to conduct said ammunition to the four guns respectively.

5. Means for guiding ammunition to a four gun assembly, both the guiding means and the assembly being mounted in a vehicle, said guiding means comprising four flexible ammunition withutes, one for each gun said chutes being 10- cated two at each side of the vehicle, one above the other, means operated by target tracking movements of the gun assembly for moving the ammunition receiving ends of said flexible chutes to maintain a substantially constant degree of slack therein, and four guide members, one for each flexible chute, constructed and arranged to space each two adjacent chutes in predetermined relation to each other.

6. Means for guiding ammunition to a four gun assembly, both the guiding means and the assembly being mounted in a vehicle, said guiding means comprising four flexible ammunition chutes, one for each gun, said chutes being located two at each side of the vehicle, one above the other, means operated by target tracking movements of the gun assembly for moving the ammunition receiving ends of said flexible chutes to maintain a substantially constant degree of slack therein, and four guide members, one for each flexible chute, constructed and arranged to space each two adjacent chutes in predetermined relation to each other and to provide for each flexible chute a fixed flexing point located in predetermined relation to the gun assembly.

7. The combination with a gun, of a cradle mounting said gun, a column on which said cradle is mounted for movement to cause tracking movement of the gun in elevation, bearings mounting the column for rotary movement to eflect tracking movements of the gun in azimuth, means for guiding ammunition to the gun, said means comprising a flexible chute the amrmumtion-delivery end of which communicates with the gun, and a line operated by target tracking movements of the gun in azimuth and in elevation for moving the ammunition-receiving end of said chute to main- 10 tain a substantially constant degree of slack in said chute.

8. The combination with a gun, of a cradle mounting said gun, a column on which said cradle is mounted for movement to cause tracking movement of the gun in elevation, bearings mounting the column for rotarylmovement to effect tracking movements ocf the gun in azimuth, means for guiding ammunition to the gun, said means comprising a flexible chute the ammunition-delivery end of which communicates with the gun, a fixed guideway in [which said flexible chute is mounted, and a line operated by target tracking movements of the gun in azimuth and in elevation for moving the ammunition-receiving end of said chute to maintain a substantially constant degree of slack in said chute.

WILBUR L. MACKENZIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,014,791 Trimbach Sept. 17, 1935 2,300,602 Trotter et a1 Nov. 3, 1942 2,364,309 North Dec. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,014 Great Britian Dec. 31, 1936 495,187 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1938 537,786 Great Britain July 7, 1941 775,551 France Oct. 15, 1934 842,968 France Mar. 13, 1939 

